Improvement in car-coupumgs



HENRY HAWLEY.

Improvement in Car Couplings.

No. 124,490. l 'PatentedMarchmJaz witumm: uvutnr:

PaTENT OFFICE.

HENRY HAWLEY, OF LYNGHBURG, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLHNGS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,490, dated March 12, 1872.

Specification describing a new and useful Improvement in Gar-Couplings, invented by HENRY HAWLEY, of Lynchburg, in the county ofGampbell and State of Virginia.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction of car-couplings of the class in which spring-jaws operated by a cam are employed to receive and hold the couplinglink; and the improvement consists mainly in the arrangement of bow-springs with crossbars working in slots ofthe draw-head, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a top view of my improved coupling. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the coupler, connected with the drawhead in any convenient manner. B is the coupling-link, which may be formed in any manner with spear-heads C at the ends, as seen in the drawing. D D are springs attached to the opening-plates E E, as seen in Fig. 2. F is the opening-button, which is attached to the upright shaft G. lhe shaft G passes through the coupling and is supported by the bottom plates thereof and by the top plate G. H is a cordpulley on the top of the coupling, which is fast on the shaft G. I is a pulley on another vertical shaft, J. K is a cord or chain attached to I at one end. lIts other end passes around the pulley H, and is attached thereto, as seen in Fig. l. When the pulley H is turned the ends of the button F are turned in contact with the opening plates E E, which throws the springs E E with the catch-plates L L from the shoulders n a of the spear-heads C, and thus uncouple the cars. The cars are selfcoupling as they come together, as the link requires no hand manipulation. On each of the ends ofthe two vertical shafts G J, on the under side of the coupling, is a short crank, seen in dotted lines in Fig. 2, by means of which the button F is operated for uncouplin g. A cord may extend from one of these cranks to the locomotive, so that the engineer may at any time release the locomotive from the cars. The catch-plates L L extend through the entire length of the coupling, and their ends work in slots in the top and bottom plates thereof,

as seen in the drawing. o o are vertical pins, which pass through the entire coupling within the bows of the springs, as seen in Fig. 2. These springs form the sides of the mouth of the coupling and guide the link to the catchplates E E. I) l? are guides for the opening plates.

Having thus described myinvention,Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The construction and arrangement of the bow-springs D D, provided with spring extensions E E, the catch-bars L L working in curved slots in the draw-heads, and the cam F, all as shown and described, to operate as specified.

Witnesses: HENRY HAWLEY.

I W. F. HIGKEY,

JOHN BorssEAU. 

